In the past, people prepared their meals based on old family recipes or cookbooks. It has always been a tradition to pass recipes down from generation to generation. Today, social media is beginning to influence how consumers plan their daily meals, and replace the historic family traditions.
As mentioned in a recent Progressive Grocer article, The Hartman Group in conjunction with Publicis Consultants USA, released a study called, “Clicks and Cravings: The Impact of Social Technology on Food Culture.” This study reveals that consumers are turning to social/digital media for their go-to source for culinary planning and execution. Mom is now being replaced by social networking sites, websites, apps and blogs. The study found that almost half of consumers learn about different food options via these platforms.
Well, what does this mean for marketers? According to the study, consumers’ social media behavior is based on their engagement, and marketers should base their communication strategies on three types of individuals:
- The spectator uses social media as an extension of people they trust. They use it to receive product reviews, recipe ideas and deals.
- The dreamer uses social media to publish their opinions to receive a larger following.
- The doer is the most engaged type of consumer, and they create content that will likely inspire their followers.
A spectator may be enticed by a special offer on a brand’s social media page, while a doer may be prompted to provide their followers with their opinion and write editorial content based on receiving samples or additional incentives.
In the end, consumers have so many more options. They receive recommendations from friends, make recipes they find on Pinterest, get ideas from TV shows and listen to opinions from bloggers.
Social media is changing our food behavior overall. We have more options in the social media space, and each individual interacts differently. With the majority of consumers utilizing social media, marketers have the opportunity to reach them in many different ways. Creating brand advocates is now more important than ever, and utilizing social media in the correct way is a perfect opportunity to make these connections and, ideally, establish brand loyalty.
